Yesterday afternoon my girlfriend and I got massages. I had never had one before, so the experience was a new one for me. I told my massage therapist that I had lymphedema, a chronic swelling in my leg. She nodded knowingly, saying that she would give me a deep tissue massage to help get the fluid moving. Once we got into the room, however, she began to ask me a series of strange questions.
Why was she asking me about allergies? She smiled tersely. You might find that your swelling is related to that. Once her strange interrogation was over, I undressed and got onto the massage table. The massage itself was lovely, and I drifted off to sleep several times during the hour and a half appointment. When she got to my legs, she focused mostly on my thighs. When she did do my lower legs, she began pushing downward rather than up. Her technique was different from MLD, and I was a little concerned if this was hurting rather than helping my leg.
At one point, she even put a hot compress across my legs β something that you should never do if you have lymphedema, as heat can make the swelling worse. I was beginning to think that she was not as familiar with lymphedema as she had made it seem before the appointment. My post-massage verdict? I would definitely do it again, although I would be more vocal about my special needs concerning the lymphedema.
How about you? What has been your experiences with lymphedema and massages? Alexa is a writer, book hoarder, and cat enthusiast living with lymphedema in Baltimore, MD. By day, she works in the marketing and communications department for a pneumatic compression pump company; by night, she runs The Lymphie Life.
My lymphedema therapist told me to refrain from massages as they are performed with more pressure than MLD and can cause more damage to the delicate lymphatic vessels just under the skin. You should have spoken up! She could do some real damage to someone. As a matter of fact, you should inform her supervisor about the importance of educating the massage therapists in their office about Lymphedema before they seriously injure or compromise a fellow Lymphie.
